1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a cage or bracket for mounting one or more electronic devices within a computer, particularly to such a cage or bracket pivotable between an operating position, in which the electronic devices are held in place within the computer, and a service position, in which the electronic device(s) is/are moved outward from the computer for removal or installation, and, more particularly, to such a cage or bracket including a pivoting bracket supporting the cage or bracket in its operating position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typical computer systems include a number of device bays, in which drive devices are mounted by installation from the front of the system. Such drive devices, which are often called DASD (Direct Access Storage Device) drives, include floppy disk drives, hard disk drives, and CD ROM drives. Often, these bays do not provide access to insert screws to engage the threaded mounting holes provided within the drive devices. While these mounting holes are typically provided along the left and right sides of the drive device, and often also along the bottom surface of the drive device, in many computing systems the bays only provide for attachment access from the front of the system. In many computer systems, drives are mounted in a side-by-side arrangement, preventing access to the screw holes on the side of each drive adjacent the other drive. Therefore, a number of adapters have been devised to fasten to various of the threaded mounting holes of a drive device, with the device attached to the adapter being installed from the front of the computer system. For example, a slide may be screwed to each side of a drive device, with the frame surfaces forming the drive bay being adapted to provide recesses for sliding engagement with the slides on opposite sides of the drive device.
What is needed is a structure, such as a cage, for mounting a drive, with the structure itself being pivotable from an operating position, in which it is held closely among adjacent structures of the computing system by means of a bracket extending to contact the frame, and a service position, in which access to the screws mounting the drive within the structure is provided. In particular, it is desirable to provide such a bracket, supporting the structure in the operating position, which is pivotable to clear adjacent devices as the structure is pivoted out of the operating position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,995,364 describes a bracket for mounting a disk drive, in which the mounting bracket is pivotally mounted within a computer frame. As the mounting bracket is moved into its operating position, surfaces of the mounting bracket are brought into contact with the frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,402 describes a hard disk drive mounting assembly that extends vertically in an operating position within a computer frame at an opening in the frame. The mounting assembly is pivoted into a service position through an oblique angle to extend outward through the opening in the frame. The mounting assembly is held within its service position by means of a pair of spring catches mounted at opposite sides of the mounting assembly, which are accessible from outside the computer to release the mounting assembly.
A number of other patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,172,305, 5,495,389, 5,784,251, 5,784,252, and 5,973,918 describe methods for making relatively large portions of a computer system, including, for example, adjacent external covers of the system, pivot open to provide access to various structures within the computer system. These pivotable portions may include hard disk drives, power supplies, etc. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,389, the pivotable assembly is held in its closed or operational position by means of a locking pawl mounted on the frame and pivoted by a key lock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,100 describes a printed circuit board holder including an integral, generally rectangular board receptacle which is pivotally supported above the base of a data processing device by spaced cradle posts. An integral latch mechanism keeps the holder in the normal (operating) position until the latch is manually released by outward deflection.
When the circuit board holder of U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,100 is brought into its closed or operating position, a number of connector spring contacts are brought into contact with pins extending outward from a mother board. The latches then prevent movement of the circuit board holder toward the open position, away from the mother board. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,918, a power supply connection is made as the pivotable structure is closed. In each of the systems of the other patents described above, the pivotable structure comes to rest along various surfaces of the frame. What is needed is a pivoting member, attached to a pivoting structure such as a drive mounting bracket, with the pivoting member contacting the frame in an extended position, and with the pivoting member being movable inward, toward the pivoting structure, to allow clearance for other devices mounted to the frame as the pivoting structure is pivoted upward. Such a configuration would allow the installation of a device, such as a disk drive, in a location extending over other devices attached to the frame, without a need to modify the frame to provide a downstop function for the pivoting structure.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, apparatus for holding a device within a computing system having a frame is provided. The apparatus includes a device holding structure for holding the device, a mounting structure pivotally mounting the device holding structure within the frame, and a support member pivotally mounted on the device holding structure. The device holding structure is mounted to move in a first pivoting direction between an operating position within the frame and a service position. The device holding structure extends outward from the frame in the service position. The support member is mounted to move on the device holding structure in a second pivoting direction between an extended position and a retracted position. The support member in the extended position extends to contact a surface of the frame to prevent movement of the device holding structure opposite the first pivoting direction past the operating position. The support member is moved toward an adjacent surface of the device holding structure into the retracted position. Preferably, the second pivoting direction is opposite the first pivoting direction.